Vindman fills in gaps on Ukraine phone call

WASHINGTON — The ellipses have long baffled lawmakers: What did President Donald Trump say on his call with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy that the White House may have omitted on the rough transcript released to the public?

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman began to fill in those gaps.

In testimony for the House impeachment inquiry, Vindman, who worked at the White House National Security Council and monitored the July 25 phone call, told investigators he heard a discussion of Biden and Burisma — a reference to the gas company where Joe Biden’s son served on the board — and that some of the ellipses omitted Trump saying there are recordings of Joe Biden discussing corruption in Ukraine, according to people familiar with Tuesday’s closed-door testimony.

Vindman testified to House investigators that he tried to add the missing words to the transcript, but was unsuccessful, the people said.

The striking development provides new insight into the phone conversation that set off the impeachment inquiry and the extent to which the White House sought to shield the president’s actions and words from the public.

“There was clearly an attempt at the White House to cover up,” said Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, a California Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.

The House impeachment inquiry is looking into Trump’s call, in which he asked Zelenskiy for a “favor” — to investigate Democrats in the 2016 election and Biden, a potential 2020 rival — as the Trump administration held up military aid for the Eastern European ally confronting Russia.

It is illegal to seek or get assistance from a foreign entity in U.S. elections, and Democrats say this was a quid pro quo for political gain and an impeachable offense.

A government whistleblower claimed there was an attempt at the White House to cover up Trump’s call by moving the transcript onto a secure server accessible to fewer people in the government.